Bush Stone-curlew

Burhinus grallarius

Bush Stone-curlews are ground-dwelling birds mainly found in open forest, eucalyptus woodland, rainforest edges, grassy plains, arid scrubland and along inland watercourses.

They have a wide-ranging diet, but prefer insects, molluscs, small lizards, seeds and occasionally small mammals. All food is foraged from the ground.

Bush Stone-curlews have a distinctive ghostly screech or wail. They are nocturnal birds, doing all their feeding and other activities at night – in urban areas often taking advantage of artificial light. Also known for their ungainly appearance and habit of freezing motionless to avoid detection, they are however fast and agile on the ground and in the air.

The bird has a highly distinctive appearance – large and slim, with long legs (sometimes the bird is called the bush thick-knee) and mostly grey-brown feathers streaked with black and white. It has a small black bill with large yellow eyes and prominent white eyebrows.